Packed with Love

Volunteers are gathered around large pallets, ready to begin the process of unwrapping and sorting.

500 blue bags are being prepped for packing. The atmosphere is busy, but joyful as familiar conversation and laughter fill the room. It’s Thursday afternoon at the Cagle House, and another Backpack Blessings packing session has begun. Soon, the pallets and boxes will disappear and hundreds of food items will be sorted into organized bins, ready for volunteers to place each item in a blue bag.

Before the backpacks can be delivered to Fair Oaks Elementary each Friday, many preparations occur throughout the week to make this mission happen. The maintenance crew at Mt. Bethel 

​receives the food and delivers it to the Cagle House. A Faithful staging crew ​ensures that all of the food is organized for a smooth packing session. Families, children, and community groups pack the blue bags while praying for the children who will receive them. The Friday crew hand delivers each blue bag to a child at Fair Oaks while interacting with staff, children, and teachers. Every person involved seeks to be the hands and feet of Christ through their diligent service and love.

​“Everyone is so invested in this mission", says Sue Dimick, a crew leader and board member for Backpack Blessings. “Once you deliver bags on a Friday, you will want to go every Friday for the rest of your life. The kids are so grateful. The return you get is so much more than just delivering food for the weekend. You are making a real difference in the lives of these kids.” 

“This mission is a real help to the children so that they can make it through the weekend without going hungry", says Joanna, a staging crew volunteer. “I hope that I am helping them in some small way.”

"As a member of Mt. Bethel, I love that the church supports our mission", says Cindy, a staging crew volunteer. “These bags really put a smile on a child’s face.”

Volunteers are always welcome at Backpack Blessings.

If you would like to experience the camaraderie and fellowship that come with serving Christ through preparing our blue bags, please contact Kimberlee Ackerman at [email protected].

If you would like to make a financial contribution to help sustain and further our mission, please visit the Donate page.  Your financial support is needed and due to our partnership with Mt Bethel, 100% of individual donations go towards covering food costs. The impact on these children, their families, and the Fair Oaks teachers and staff is immeasurable.